This invention relates to compositions and methods for modulating expression of the raf gene, a naturally present cellular gene which has been implicated in abnormal cell proliferation and tumor formation. This invention is also directed to methods for inhibiting hyperproliferation of cells; these methods can be used diagnostically or therapeutically. Furthermore, this invention is directed to treatment of conditions associated with expression of the raf gene.
Alterations in the cellular genes which directly or indirectly control cell growth and differentiation are considered to be the main cause of cancer. The raf gene family includes three highly conserved genes termed A-, B- and c-raf (also called raf-1). Raf genes encode protein kinases that are thought to play important regulatory roles in signal transduction processes that regulate cell proliferation. Expression of the c-raf protein is believed to play a role in abnormal cell proliferation since it has been reported that 60% of all lung carcinoma cell lines express unusually high levels of c-raf mRNA and protein. Rapp et al., The Oncogene Handbook, E. P. Reddy, A. M Skalka and T. Curran, eds., Elsevier Science Publishers, New York, 1988, pp. 213-253.
Oligonucleotides have been employed as therapeutic moieties in the treatment of disease states in animals and man. For example, workers in the field have now identified antisense, triplex and other oligonucleotide compositions which are capable of modulating expression of genes implicated in viral, fungal and metabolic diseases. Antisense oligonucleotides have been safely administered to humans and clinical trials of several antisense oligonucleotide drugs, targeted both to viral and cellular gene products, are presently underway. The phosphorothioate oligonucleotide drug, Vitravene(trademark) (ISIS 2922), has been approved by the FDA for treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients. It is thus established that oligonucleotides can be useful therapeutic instrumentalities and can be configured to be useful in treatment regimes for treatment of cells and animal subjects, especially humans.
Antisense oligonucleotide inhibition of gene expression has proven to be a useful tool in understanding the roles of raf genes. An antisense oligonucleotide complementary to the first six codons of human c-raf has been used to demonstrate that the mitogenic response of T cells to interleukin-2 (IL-2) requires c-raf. Cells treated with the oligonucleotide showed a near-total loss of c-raf protein and a substantial reduction in proliferative response to IL-2. Riedel et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1993, 23, 3146-3150. Rapp et al. have disclosed expression vectors containing a raf gene in an antisense orientation downstream of a promoter, and methods of inhibiting raf expression by expressing an antisense Raf gene or a mutated Raf gene in a cell. WO application 93/04170. An antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide complementary to codons 1-6 of murine c-Raf has been used to abolish insulin stimulation of DNA synthesis in the rat hepatoma cell line H4IIE. Tornkvist et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1994, 269, 13919-13921. WO Application 93/06248 discloses methods for identifying an individual at increased risk of developing cancer and for determining a prognosis and proper treatment of patients afflicted with cancer comprising amplifying a region of the c-raf gene and analyzing it for evidence of mutation.
Denner et al. disclose antisense polynucleotides hybridizing to the gene for raf, and processes using them. WO 94/15645. Oligonucleotides hybridizing to human and rat raf sequences are disclosed.
Iversen et al. disclose heterotypic antisense oligonucleotides complementary to raf which are able to kill ras-activated cancer cells, and methods of killing raf-activated cancer cells. Numerous oligonucleotide sequences are disclosed, none of which are actually antisense oligonucleotide sequences.
There remains a long-felt need for improved compositions and methods for inhibiting raf gene expression.
The present invention provides oligonucleotides which are targeted to nucleic acids encoding human raf and are capable of inhibiting raf expression. The present invention also provides chimeric oligonucleotides targeted to nucleic acids encoding human raf. The oligonucleotides of the invention are believed to be useful both diagnostically and therapeutically, and are believed to be particularly useful in the methods of the present invention.
The present invention also comprises methods of inhibiting the expression of human raf, particularly the abnormal expression of raf. These methods are believed to be useful both therapeutically and diagnostically as a consequence of the association between raf expression and hyperproliferation. These methods are also useful as tools, for example for detecting and determining the role of raf expression in various cell functions and physiological processes and conditions and for diagnosing conditions associated with raf expression.
The present invention also comprises methods of inhibiting hyperproliferation of cells using oligonucleotides of the invention. These methods are believed to be useful, for example in diagnosing raf-associated cell hyperproliferation. These methods employ the oligonucleotides of the invention. These methods are believed to be useful both therapeutically and as clinical research and diagnostic tools.